1-awakening[binary heaven]
The mire of the everyday sloughs off.
A war between magi.
The wheel of fate turns.
Weak one, temper your sword,
And defend the value of your life.
1st Week Selection
Combatants: 9999
Summoners Remaining: 640
The sky burns. Houses collapse into ruin. People fall to the ground. Roads come to an end. The conflict started here. With this, the world that was will be restored. It is here that "I" alone had survived.
Don't remember/Never forget.
Oblivion is salvation and sin. Never forget.
"I" was born from perdition. This must be a nightmare. This had to be somewhere; it could be anywhere, these events that occurred in the true memories of childhood. A torrent of blood flows, and a voice resonating with bitter resentment can be heard. Lives fade away without a thought. Friends, family, strangers: All gone. Soldiers with guns., families trying to hold together, a grotesque struggle to the last, until a gentle peace descends as death comes to claim them.
I could not accept all I have seen. The question of "why?" never left me. Even with the divide between conflict and catastrophe, why did such a tragedy occur? No, more importantly—Why has this world been turned into a hell on Earth?
...A gentle rain begins to fall. All things once living fade away, leaving only one behind. Amidst the helplessness and despair, their soul's last feelings are of rage and regret. The rain wets their cheeks as their eyes close one last time, dying forgotten and alone. Seeing this, I struggle to rise from the depths of death. I will not accept what I have been shown. If I can live again, I will definitely—But there are no second chances. And before long, the rain has cleansed the scorched earth.
Never forget.
"I" was born from perdition.
What that means—
Somehow, please don't forget it.
...It seems I saw some sort of twisted, distorted dream. With that, I wake up in the nurse's office. I must've collapsed and was brought here. So was that world, the effigy that blocked my way, and that Champion ... all a dream as well?
No. This nurse's office is far different than the one I knew. It's similar, but off, somehow...
"Ah, good morning, my dear Summoner! I'm glad to see you've finally decided to wake up." The overwhelming, unforgettable presence of someone suddenly appears beside my bed—I thought I was dreaming, but the ears and tails are real. There's no way to mistake her for human. But after seeing her incredible powers in the fight against the effigy, I don't care what she is. "If you'd died, I was going to curse everyone in sight. Anyway, welcome to the Holy Grail War!" Huh? "Um... You know all about the Holy Grail War, right?"
Holy Grail War? I've heard mention of it, but what is it, exactly?
"...Eh? Well, maybe you've forgotten exactly what the Holy Grail War is. You were asleep for a long time so your memory might still be fuzzy. Let me explain then. First, the Holy Grail. It supposedly held the blood of a savior and can grant any—" A holy relic said to perform miracles that became well-known through the Arthurian cycle. "Exactly! And the battle where players fight for the Holy Grail is called the Holy Grail War. You might've forgotten this, too, but you're one of those players who've come to fight for the Holy Grail. Also, though it's called the Holy Grail, there's no way it could be the real thing. But don't worry about that. The fact that it can grant wishes makes it a Holy Grail of sorts. As for the rules, Champions and Summoners fight together and losers give up their Command Seals." My eyes are drawn to my left hand where I've been marked with three strange symbols. "Summoners continue to duel until only one is left to claim the Holy Grail ... I think. But don't worry! My dear Summoner is a lock to make it all the way. It'll be a walk in the park!"
I doubt it's that simple. While I have a million questions, at least I know the basics now. And whether I want to be here or not, I'm now a participant in this Holy Grail War nonsense. "Yes. Understanding the basics is more than good enough for now. OK, now that's out of the way, let's get to the important stuff. Do you know what Champions are?"
Sorry, I don't have a clue.
"Aah, I'm sorry to embarrass you!" This fox girl is bowing to me rather apologetically. I'm not sure how to respond. Should I pat her on the head? "I guess you need me to explain what Champions are, as well!" After a brief panic attack brought on by embarrassment, she continues her explanation. "Champions are Legendary Souls drawn from around Runeterra to help players fight in the Fields of Justice. Those who are judged capable of exposing their mind to the summoner, which would allow the two to share their mental thoughts and act as one, become Legendary Souls and are accepted into the League." League? Of what?
"The League of Legends; it looks like you don't understand. The League of Legends is an organization created to mediate the political and personal conflicts in Valoran and from what I hear, your world. The League resolved that all major political conflict would be settled through the use of specially prepared arenas strategically located throughout Valoran. Summoners representing a particular political allegiance would each call forth a Champion; the Champions, leading mindless minions generated by NPCs manipulating a nexus, would fight to achieve the objective of the arena they were in. The most common victory condition of a battle arena would be to destroy the opposing faction's nexus. These arenas are collectively referred to as the Fields of Justice." This is a lot of information.
"...I'm not all that legendary, though. Anyway, Champions are manifestations of those judged. But whether actual Legendary Souls were summoned in past Holy Grail Wars is subject to debate. But this time, the Holy Grail has done a better job of reproducing Legendary Souls than any human! Also, according to the rules of the Holy Grail War, Champions are divided into seven classes. Saber. Lancer. Archer. Rider." She doesn't seem happy with those classes. "Caster." She's giving off a huge smile for that word. "Assassin." Not very happy again... "Oh and, of course, Berserker." You don't seem to like these other classes, huh...
She gives off a giggle, "I'm firmly ensconced in the Caster class. I'm especially good at long-range magic attacks. Um... My fighting style might be a teensy bit difficult to get a handle on. I apologize for that." Caster... She seems unusually outgoing, but there's no denying her abilities as a Champion. Wait... If all Champions are Legendary Souls, I wonder who Caster was in real life. "Huh? My true name? I'm far too insignificant for you to bother with my true name, Master! Please, just call me Caster. That way, my identity won't be revealed to our enemies, who could then use it against us." With that, my Champion disappears into the ether. However, I can feel her presence nearby. She must be staying out of sight when she isn't needed so her identity can't be compromised. But how their identities would be guessed just by their appearance is beyond me.
I notice the door to the nurse's office open and close. A girl in a nurse outfit, with a rather small frame and long dark hair, enters. "Ah, Miku. You're finally awake? I'm so relieved. You don't seem to have any injuries, so feel free to leave when you feel like it. Also, all of your memories have been restored by the R.I.O.T so do not worry. Any magi that seek the Holy Grail have their memories suppressed and are given those of a student. Only Summoners who managed to recover themselves are allowed to enter the main tournament. Now that you have regained your memories, please review them to make sure they're complete."
...Regained my memories? That's not right. Outside of my name, I can't recall anything of my past. I realized that everyone around me was forced to believe they were normal students... However, I cannot remember a single thing that happened to me before then!
"Your memory restoration failed? I cannot help you. I, Cristina V, am just a custodial AI." My complaints were totally ignored. It seems that she can't act beyond her programming. "Oh, I should give this to you before I forget." She gives me some kind of portable terminal. I assume it's for getting messages and whatnot. "As a participant, you should pay attention to any messages that appear on your terminal."
Tutorial -Main Menu-
Press Δ while in the Arena to bring up the Terminal Menu. While in the Terminal Menu, you can check on your Champion's current condition by selecting the Status menu option. You can review the information you've gathered on your opponent by choosing the Matrix menu option. Select the Equip menu option to change equipment or Summoner Spells and to see what equipment you are currently using. Select the Item menu option to check the items you have on hand as well as Rune Pages, Masteries, and Summoner Spells in your possession. Select the System menu option to save your progress, load a chapter, or change various in-story settings.
So, this thing is kind of like a ... electronic ... tablet of sorts. I see. Hey, Cristina... Um— "Hello, Miku. Have you met Father Morello yet?" Can't say I have. "Good luck in the tournament. It will test your limits." ...Yes, I suppose it would.
Walking out of the office, I notice that I'm back at school, it's still quite different though. In the surroundings, the walls and the floors, there seems to be an odd texture that resembles ... blue data. It seems like the entire place is created out of a program. A virtual world.
Passing by another student, or supposed student I should say, I hear her muse to herself, "Finally, the Holy Grail War is officially underway..." Mayhaps she could inform me of the current situation. "Seeing as my memories were sealed away during the prelims, I'm surprised I made it this far." Were your memories returned to you? I suppose so, since you're speaking in past tense.
"So this is the real thing, huh?" A male student walks up to us from the lobby, "The Vibe here is totally different from the prelims. I went up to the rooftop to get a look at the sky. You should take a look; it's pretty wild." All right, thank you. I will spend a few minutes at there later.
I see another player of this tournament, seeing me approach her, she quickly thinks of a topic to discuss with me, "Have you heard of that Morello guy? I haven't seen him around... Strange, that." I might need to look for this man, too. He might have the answers that I am looking for.
Seeing that nobody else is around on the first floor, I should make a trip to the school commissary at the bottom of the staircase here. There is a person standing in between two counters full of snacks and items. "In hell, money conquers all. Welcome to the Monica Academy Commissary!"
Tutorial -Commisary-
You can buy or sell items, Runes, and Formal Wear at the commissary. Check your stock via the Item option in the Terminal Menu. If you don't have formal wear or a rune equipped, you will not be able to take advantage of its effects. Buying and selling items use either Riot Points or Influence Points, also known as RP or IP. Depending on the item only one type of currency can be used.
This cashier has Yakisoba Bread, Curry Bread, and Mana Potions. I don't really know how these food items would help me, so I'll pass for now.
I should go take a look at the rooftop. At the second floor, I find my friend David Turley waiting for me. "Ooh, you've gotten through! That's excellent! You haven't seen Monica until you've seen our rooftop!" Oh, yeah. I was about to go there. "By the way, although my name is David Turley, you should call me Phreak from now onwards. I would rather not be confused for a participant of this tournament, if you don't mind me saying." Oh, thank you for notifying me about this. See you, Phreak.
A girl standing outside of my "classroom" seems apparently frustrated for some reason. "That's weird... I can't get into the classroom... I guess I'll have to kill a bit of time."
One classmate is giving me some odd looks. It's as if he's intrigued by something. "So, you're the infamous ghost in the machine. It's surprising such a thing exists." Huh? I don't recall being a part of any district or section of any number... You must have the wrong person. "It's more surprising that Tousaka's participating in this Holy Grail War. It's sobering." I wonder who this person is referring to...
Near the library, I overhear a student talking to himself, "Hmm... Things seem stricter this round. Kinda like the prelims..." Really, now. I don't remember any rules that are currently restricting any of us right now. Then again, I don't have any ... I can't really help with the conversation here.
Noticing that I am understandably confused, a girl walks up to me to explain a few of the topics that are currently circulating through the school. "So, OK, all the Student Council types are NPCs. They're dressed in boring old black. Figures." That means Da—I mean Phreak is an NPC, too. A non-player character... "If you have a question, I'm sure they'll answer you, or die trying."
There seems to be a rather lonesome person standing in the corner, I wonder what's he doing. "Hmph. You're a Summoner, too. Don't come near me, I have nothing to say to you." All right, fine. I suppose small talk isn't your cup of tea. I apologize.
Up the stairs and onto the third floor, I see a little girl in a very simple dark dress. I don't remember seeing any children in a high school. "Ah...! You're a Summoner, too, Big Sis?" Big Sis? Too? I don't think approaching her is a good idea anymore.
Down the other side of the hallway, I see a tan glasses lady with long hair. "..." She seems to be a very quiet person. The best idea for this situation is to leave, I suppose.
I exit the building through the door at the top of the staircase and find myself in the rooftop. Binary numbers are orbiting the school, surrounding it in their blue tone. Bubbles are also floating floating endlessly upwards toward the sky... Perhaps, this setting is to be underwater? As I look upwards, I see a gigantic blue orb far off above the school. What a peculiar sun.
On the rooftop, a rather interesting looking woman in red was accompanying my lonesome self up there. "I've investigated this school from top to bottom, but there's nothing unique about it. The girl pats the walls and floors murmuring something to herself. She's... We've never met, but she can't be anyone but Lou Tousaka. She has a nice face and figure, gets good grades, and is popular at Monica Academy. From what I hear, she even makes Hackee jealous. However, she became popular while the school was at peace. Things are different now. The defiant gaze is nothing like the vacant smile of a popular kid.
The Holy Grail War—
Before I knew it, the school had been turned into a battlefield. Rin knows it, too... Yeah, I hadn't registered it before, but we're all predators now. It's kill or be killed. I have to acknowledge that as the truth, even if I don't want to.
"...Huh? Hey, you over there." Her eyes soften as she looks at me. "Yeah, you. Hmm, I haven't checked the NPCs out much yet. Aha, I know a simple way. Don't you move."
Unexpectedly, her fingers reach out and touch my cheek. Such thin, delicate fingers. I realize how remarkable it is that so strong a gaze can come from so innocent a frame. "Imagine that. You're warm, though you shouldn't be... Huh? That's weird, seeing a red cheek flush like that..." Her face is just three centimeters from the tip of my nose. My heart races at the closeness. Her breath exhales warmly against my cheek and her hair tickles my bare neck; if I flail around or something I might accidentally kiss her... Her pat-down of my shoulders and stomach seems playful compared to the harsh gaze from earlier. Transfixed, I'm unable to move as her pale fingers slide over me. "Interesting. You're more well-built than I had expected. You look and feel real. Maybe more real than most people.
"...Hey, what are you laughing at? It's to our advantage to look into everything, even the NPCs..." She looks behind her, scowling. Although invisible, her Champion must be there. "Huh? She's a Summoner too? No... A Summoner should be more... W-Wait. That means when I felt up—" She must be thinking about it now, because she's blushing. As am I. "Ugh, how embarrassing... Shut up! I can make mistakes too, you know! Don't call me a pervert!" I'm pretty sure she was addressing an off-color comment coming from her Champion there. "It could have been my imagination. Or a hacker—such a detailed NPC would rarely exist otherwise. Anyway, you're to blame for being confusing. You're too bland to be anything but an NPC.
"Nothing but a blank look on your face, even now. Were the prelims too boring to jog your memories?" She touched on a subject that I would rather not think about, even in jest. It kind of grinds me to a halt. "Uh... No way. Your memories still haven't returned? That's ... really not good. Once you enter the Holy Grail War, the only way out is to win. Leaving prematurely isn't allowed. Even without memories, or previous battle experience, you still have to fight... Oh, well. It doesn't matter. You'll be defeated in the Holy Grail War soon enough." As the concern disappears from her voice, I glimpse the real Tousaka, my opponent in the Holy Grail War. It isn't personal. She considers everyone in the Holy Grail War her enemy.
"This woman doesn't understand that she's nothing compared to you. Are you letting her say that?" Unlike my Champion, I have no witty response to my future rival. I have to win. Now that I know what's at stake, I have to win.
"...Well, I guess I pity you." We're not cracking into the system and destroying it, we're hacking. I don't know what's on the other side of the R.I.O.T's wall once it goes down. Did your soul get jarred after you made it to the main event? If it's lost or unreadable, then how about you investigate later? Well, in any case, you don't look like you're cut out for fighting. Thanks to excitement, or nerves, everything feels unreal. No matter if you have memories or not. You can't help feeling like you're in a dream. It'll be hard to win feeling so disoriented."
So I've lost ... my memories. Who am I? What's my story? What am I even doing in the Holy Grail War in the first place? All I know is that I'm a Summoner with a Champion at my command.
It's evening now and since I don't really know where to go, I find myself back at my classroom at 2-A.
"I logged in on a whim and somehow made it through the prelims. I must be a prodigy or something. My first opponent is Tousaka, but I'm not too worried about it. I'll take her out in a flash," a male classmate is obviously arrogant much to the annoyance of everyone else.
A female classmate sighs at the person making his speech. "If the classrooms are bullpens for Summoners, then everyone here must be a Summoner..." She's fiddling with some chalk in between her hands. "Everyone looks so strong. I hope I can keep up."
Since I don't really want to bother with this person, I'll go over to my classmate near the windows instead. "Hey, Hatsune! Remember me? We were in the same class in the preliminaries."
Sorry, uh...
"Don't worry, it's not your fault. It's that these default avatars all look alike." Oh, so that's why just about everyone looks the same. Thanks for informing me about this. But, what about me? I can tell that I have long brown hair that reaches down my back, but I haven't looked in the mirror yet to see anymore differences from other people. "I really want to try customizing my avatar like Tousaka or Shinji." Hmm, does that mean I customized mine? I don't remember seeing anyone that looked like me...
Anyway, there seems to be a girl near my desk that wants to talk to me. So what is this about? "Once your opponent has been decided, it's like the tournament has officially begun." My opponent? "What? You don't know who you're fighting? You'd better go find Father Morello." Um, thank you.
Outside of my classroom stands who I'm assuming to be the same person who was standing here this morning. "Father Morello must be an NPC. Like, he's the head honcho of the black shirts or something. He's definitely not human. Well, he's not humane, at least."
I wonder where he is, I'll ask this lady in the lobby. "Father Morello? Find him yourself, he's putzing around the school." Thank ... you, I guess.
Near the library, I find same people standing at the same spots as before. "Hahaha, I'm such a lucky guy. My Champion rules!" Good for you, I can kill dolls using only ten percent of my Champion's power. "Your Champion's pretty awesome, too. It's invisible, but I can tell." Oh, wow. A compliment. I don't I've had anything like that yet. I'm grateful...
In the library, I find a black uniform student working at the counter. The librarian, I guess. "Oh, congratulations on making it this far, Miku Hatsune. May the Holy Grail guide you. Let's see here. Did you know you can open the terminal menu by pressing Δ? All the information you gather ends up there, so I recommend you review it on a regular basis." I see, I appreciate the help.
Down the bookcases, I see another student council staff member. What tips do they have in mind? "Hello, Miku Hatsune. How does it feel to have made it to the main tournament? Oh... You have amnesia. This isn't your school. It's the staging area for the Holy Grail War. And we, the student council members, will be assisting Summoners such as yourself along the way. So, don't hesitate to talk to us. May victory be yours."
Behind one of the shelves, a player is reading a book that I can't exactly see the title of. "Hmm, I see... So that's it." After getting a serious glare from one of the student council members, he adds on, "Oops, excuse me. I just happened to be learning about my Champion. He's only a minor hero..."
There's someone hiding between a few bookcases, I wonder what this person is up to. "Oh, interesting. This is an image database. I bet I can use it to find info about my enemy." So, finding weaknesses about the enemy is also very important here in this war. And to find the weaknesses, I'll be using the library. That's fine. I should go find this Morello person. I bet he can explain to me what's going on.
At the third floor, I see the girl with almond skin again. I feel that she should be able to tell me something helpful. "Your opponent is yet undetermined? That is unusual. Perhaps you ought to ask Father Morello about it?" Oh, I thought you had an idea where he was. Sorry.
Phreak is standing nearby, I should talk to him to get some info out of this place. "We of the student council are responsible for ensuring the Holy Grail War runs smoothly. If you have any concerns, speak to someone in a black uniform. We will help as we are able." I suppose that solidifies the claims made by that girl earlier.
Maybe he's at the rooftop... No, he is not. Instead, I find another familiar face up here. "Oho, if it isn't our resident lost little Summoner. Is there something else you want of me? I said it already, but we're at war and you're my enemy. I have no desire to be your friend..." Tousaka sighs in frustration, "Seeing as you can't remember anything, I guess any info would be useful to you." I suppose she's somewhat nice. Lou sighs again, "Since no one else is stupid enough to help, I guess I will. If it's only about the basics, I'll tell you what I can. That should be enough, right? Beyond the basics, you're on your own. Poke around the R.I.O.T if you need more specific info." I don't know how to do that...
What is the R.I.O.T anyway?
"...That's right; you have no clue about anything. Let me start from scratch, then. R.I.O.T refers to the artificial world where we are now. Think of it as a kind of virtual reality. With that being said, it works on a level far removed from super computers and networked clusters. The creation of a single Legendary Soul is far beyond the capacity of most of the world's computers. But in this place, there are more than a hundred currently in existence. Imagine the power needed to just run the preliminaries, with all of the necessary NPCs, etceteras. Things here are so anomalous that it requires god-like hacking skills just to gain access. And to be able to digitize yourself and exist here requires that you be a magus-level hacker. So, are you OK with what I've told you up until now? OooooK, then... So what do you want to know about first?"
About the Holy Grail.
"As the whole point of this place is to win the Holy Grail, it's probably a good place to start. Since I've never actually seen it in person, I can't fill you in on all of the details. However, I can safely say that it does exist and its power to grant wishes is beyond doubt. Some western plutocrats have tried to seal it away. Others are here to obtain it for themselves. Even dismissing rumor, the power inherent in the Holy Grail is enough to change reality. And only the last Summoner standing will enter the center of the R.I.O.T and claim the Holy Grail. That is why all Summoners are enemies. Of course, this includes you and me."
About Magi.
"As the R.I.O.T is a virtual world, I'm sure you're aware that none of us have any substance. Normal hackers enter systems using a program, but methods used by a magus are far more advanced. A magus will digitize their soul and then insert themselves into virtual worlds such as this one. That lets them process data instantaneously, which would be impossible for normal hackers. Of course, you can't learn to become a magus. You have to born with the required abilities. Born into it... Yes, that sounds right. Players who have the qualities of a Magi are ones who are born with the necessary 'circuits.' There is also what's called Third Magic, which allows weaker magi to digitize their souls."
About Rin.
"Why in the hell are you asking about me? I have no desire to even pretend to be your friend. Ah. You think I'll say something that'll give you an edge. Maybe you're not completely stupid. However, it's a moot point as you won't get out of the first round. You're way too soft and weak. Although I'm no better, seeing how much time I've wasted trying to help you. How depressing..." She does a lot of sighing, I've noticed. "I still owe you for molesting you. I'll help you with the basics, but that's it."
I've heard enough... Meanie.
"Is that all...? If you say so, I have no problems stopping now. Well, that's everything, then. Don't bother me with anymore of your stupid pointless questions! Remember that you and I are enemies. Even a temporary alliance between us would end badly. Instead of hanging out here, you should be using the time left to you more responsibly." Thanks, I suppose. That's right! I haven't found Morello, yet.
At the first floor, I see a rather tall man dressed in black. "Congratulations. you have been deemed worthy to be a participant in the Holy Grail War. You may call me Father Morello. I am an NPC assigned the task of supervising the Holy Grail War. As of today you and your fellow players have been given the honor of fighting in the Arena up ahead. The war is run as an elimination tournament, with the Grail being awarded to the last person standing. In other words, the participating Summoners will kill each other until there is only one person left. Simple enough to understand, yes? Even a complete idiot should be able to understand the rules. Summoners get a six day preparation period before Elimination Battles, which occur on the seventh day. I'd advise you to use the time given to devise the most efficient means of slaughtering your foe. On the seventh day, you and your foe will fight. The winner lives, and the loser is ... deleted. If you wish to make a query, speak now. The right to ask about the rules is given to all."
How do I survive this?
"As I've already explained, after six days of preparation, you must kill your assigned opponent. You have chosen your Champion to use as a weapon for that very purpose, have you not?"
Preparation period?
"Of course, the other Summoners are given the same time to prepare for battle, and to kill. As for how to prepare, I cannot help you. Do whatever you feel is necessary."
About the terminal.
"The terminal will relay any messages generated by the system which governs the Holy Grail War. It is the course of wisdom to pay heed to any message you may receive."
I'm as prepared as I can be. Thank you.
"...I see. Good luck, then. Hmm? Is something troubling you?" Yeah. Well, here's my situation. "What was that...? You have yet to be informed of your first round opponent? Hmm... Wait just a moment... Strange. There seems to be a system error. I will locate your opponent by tomorrow. One last thing... Summoners that continue to advance will be given a private room." He hands me a key; I can see in very small text on its base, Private Room Password. "Your room will be located in classroom 2-B. Please enter this password into your terminal." Wait, how do I use enter this? I hold the key in front of the terminal and suddenly the terminal scans the key with a laser of sorts and ... absorbs it. That works, too.
"Well, the time for conversation has come to an end. The door ahead leads to the Arena." He points down the hallway of the first floor where I entered the Mystic Maze before. "For today, concentrate on becoming accustomed to the inner workings of the Arena. The Arena entrance uses the same door you went through during the preliminaries. Good luck."
"Hey Miku, you made it in? Well if Hackee can qualify, anyone with a pulse can..." A student that I apparently know walks up to me after my conversation. "Making it to the final round's going to be tough. Everyone here is the best of the best." Yea, I suppose I should be a bit more afraid, right?
Also in the lobby is my homeroom teacher Ashe. It looks like she wants to talk about something. She's calling me over. I wonder what's— "Hey, hey Miku, you'd be willing to do your poor teacher a tiny little favor, right? RIGHT?" Uh...
Of course.
"Thank you! You've made my day. So, my favorite kendo sword has up and disappeared. I stashed it in the supply room, but it somehow managed to find its way into the Arena." I can see where this is going. "Since I can't go in there, I need you to get my kendo sword and hand it over during the first round. I'm not here all the time, so you'll want to check back every now and then. Thanks again!"
Hmm... Feeling a bit disoriented I walk towards the nurse's office. I'm taking on a bit too much for my first day. "Heheheh. I managed to summon one hell of a powerful Champion. Guess who? I bet you can't!" Well, do you really want me to know? "I was going to tell you, but you're right. That'd be pure idiocy on my part, wouldn't it?" I would believe so. I'll head to the nurse's office, this time unimpeded.
At the office, I feel tons better. I think it's just from seeing Cristina's face ... she's rather cute. Oh, she's meeting my eyes, I should look somewhere else... Why is it that the beds in the nurse's office kind of make me think dirty thoughts? I should leave.
I enter the Garden and I see a water fountain in front of what I can garner as a church. The pumped-up water creates an elegant arc. Walking past the fountain I notice that a faint voice can be heard coming from inside the chapel. I wonder if a service is being held now... But as I try to move closer to better hear the muffled voice, my body refuses to cooperate. I back off and bump into a girl that was deep in thought around the fountain. Sorry.
She waves her hands, as if absolving me of my misdeed."What a well-tended flowerbed. Sometimes it's hard to believe that nothing here really exists. That the R.I.O.T is nothing more than a virtual world created solely for the Holy Grail War. It's one of those things that you have to see to believe, right? It's pretty amazing..." I apologize again and return to the main premises.
Actually, now that I think about it. I haven't visited the front yard of the campus yet. I should do that. At the Schoolyard, I find a pair of students having an interesting conversation.
"Hey, you wanna team up together?" Teaming up? You can do that?
"With YOU? First, how about you get on Shinji's level? Then we'll talk." There is a leveling system here?
"The guy's a jerk. It wouldn't be smart to partner with him. He'd stab you in the back, man." This, I cannot argue.
In the direction behind me, another player introduces his existence to me. "I've dived into a lot of virtual worlds, but this is the most real. My compliments to the R.I.O.T. Sometimes wishes really do come true. I'm so grateful to be here." He starts to sob; though something he said does interest me. Wishes. If his wish is granted already... Nevermind.
Off in the corner, there was a girl by herself bursting with spirit. I wonder why. "If you want to hone in on victory, hone your body! Training does a body good, even a virtual one!" I suppose that's true. I'll take this into consideration for myself. "You look like the kind of kid who enjoys a good sweat! You like the feeeeel the buuurn, don't ya?" Um... I'm not very sure... I, um, think I have to go now.
Making quick haste towards a random direction, I found myself relaxing at the Archery Range. I hear the whistle of an arrow as I see it collide with the target sign at the other end of the building. "Of all the Dinhs, they sent HIM. The Dinh family must be really serious about getting the Grail." I think she noticed me observing her archery skills. "Oh, didn't you know? Reginald is sitting pretty to be the next head of the Dinh family. He must be some kind of prodigy to be chosen as heir at his age." She sends another arrow down the field. Why do I have a bad feeling about all this?
Walking my way back to the main building's second floor, I accidentally tripped on the stairs and fell down to the School Commissary. "As the 640th and final qualifier, we of the student council welcome you, Miku Hatsune." Thanks, I feel welcome already. "Morello might have already told you, but the Holy Grail War is divided into seven rounds. Until a winner is declared, we of the student council are here to support your efforts." Is it all right if the support can help me up?
Rather than the staff member, another player walks up to me and gives me a hand; his other hand is occupied with other things such as holding what I think is curry bread. "The old school commissary kind of ... sucked. Oh well, as long as I can buy curry bread, I'm good." That's good for you then. I'll just get back to the second floor then.
A rather peculiar sight is being seen at the second floor right now, only to me though. The classroom 2-B, which is apparently my designated private room, has replaced its textures for doors with glowing purple lines. Morello told me classroom 2-B was my private room. If I hold up my computer terminal, I can enter. When I raise the terminal to the knob, I hear a low hum or maybe an incantation. The door opens. A group of desks are set up right beside each other, a few sets of draped furniture sort of surrounds the desks, and two draped pillars are stacked atop the desks. It almost resembles a shrine of someone. I guess, this is going to be my new home.
"So... It's me and my dear Master, all alone. The Moon Cell really has an understanding of what's important. As we don't have to worry about eavesdroppers here, feel free to ask me about anything you'd like." Caster seems to have a different take on this setup, but she's right in that we can talk freely here. If I need to talk with Caster for any reason I should make it a point to come back here to do it.
Maybe I should speak with Caster.
"Hmm... I think this arrangement will work. Please forgive me for taking the liberty of tidying things up a little. So, what do you think? It's not exactly like an Imperial Palace, but it does have a regal air, does it not?" Oh, so this setup was all your work. Congratulations, it looks great. "I probably focused a little too much on my own predilections, but I know you're gracious enough to humor me! But I'd like you to add your own special touches from now on. And be sure to maintain it every day, so that one day it will be the love nest that all will envy, OK? " Love ... nest? I-I-I mean, you're cute and all ... b-but, aren't we getting hasty?
Ahem... We should go to the arena now and get some training done.
As I head towards the arena, a player that I pass by seems to be astounded when she took a glance at me. "Huh, you're a Summoner, too? I know things just kicked off, but man there are a lot of people here. Honestly, you look really absent-minded. You'd better pull it together if you want to win." That sort of offends me, but I think I understand why everyone says that to me now. Sad truths are hard to come by...
Couples are apparently allowed in this tournament; a pair of lovers are having a rather interesting sappy moment about them. I should talk to them about public decency. "You know, I decided to participate with my honey and we were able to get through the prelims. I have to gather as much information as possible for my honey." Well, the boyfriend seems to be
"I entered into this war thingy with my darling and we both made it past the prelims! Behold the terrifying power of Love! Maybe you should find someone to help you out, too!" L-Love? I-I'm sorry, but I don't know about Caster or Lou enough to... Uh, well, um, good luck.
When I reach the end of the west wing of the first floor, I see an actual set of doors replace the faulty wall that was in the preliminaries. How interesting. They look just like doors that would open to a building's main staircase; there is also a small lit up sign above the doors, I think it says "Mystic Maze". Interesting.
Caster appears before me, "Master, remember that once you're in the Arena, you're committed. Leave, and the day is over. Be sure to get your shopping and rumor mongering done before heading to the Arena, OK?"
I understand. Thanks.
This is the Arena entrance. Should I head inside...?
Yes, I should go to the First Floor. That's the only floor open to me right now...
"So this is the Arena. Wow... Look how stark and uninviting this place is! There's an ungodly number of enemies prowling about, but fear not! I can take them out for you, Master! Seeing as this is your very first fight ... why don't we just aim for that enemy over there for today?" I can kind of glimpse rather far off into the distance a large bee-like program flying about. It looks rather blue. "All right then, let's go all out!"
I take a few steps forward through the Mystic Maze. The hallways and rooms look exactly the same, them being made out of neon-like walls and platforms. However, the place has been rearranged... Is this how it'll always be?
In another room, I see a small ... virtual ... fountain spewing out green water.
Tutorial -Revival Fountain (NORMAL)-
Revival Fountains will heal both a Summoner and Champion. Note: Only on the 1st floor of First Chimeric Lunar Sea.
Hmm, I wonder what will happen if I touch this... Well, my hand gets wet.
"Oh! Allow me, Master~!" Caster faces me and grabs my hand to her mou... I refuse to explain any further. "Wow, my body feels certainly revitalized. Thank you for the meal, Master. " ...I-I must be blushing a lot right now, r-right?...
Let's move on; maybe I should draw a map of this place. At least I'm sure that the terrain won't change as long as I am still walking around the maze. Caster suddenly puts an arm out in front of me to stop me in my tracks, "Heads up! There's a weak little enemy coming at us! It really shouldn't be a problem, but if you fear for my well-being, press to use healing items. You can also use items while we're tail-deep in battle as well. If you could shower me with healing on a regular basis, that'd be great. My defense is sketchy at best..." So you're squishy? Understood.
Tutorial -Arena Menu-
Pressing will display the Arena Menu where you can use items and Summoner Spells.
The enemy program heads toward us. "Please don't hurt my Master, or else I will be very angry, OK?" At my command she summons her orb and attacks with the thing that my terminal has apparently named Klein, sometimes she blows a kiss to it that somehow stops the thing from attacking us. Wait, how does that work on a program? We were able to take it down almost instantly. "That was pretty fun, wasn't it, Master?"
Walking through another hall, I see a very similar looking program pacing back and forth. There are ... Item Folders, was it ... at each end of the program's routine. OK, Caster; we should try to avoid this Klein, but I'm sure we can get the Item Folders without it noticing us. "Sneaking around enemies in plain sight has never been a specialty of mine..." I'm sure we can do it, we just have to try.
...If you say "I told you so," I will never forgive you. Though we tried to avoid this enemy it manages to corner us, however we're powerful enough to take it down without much trouble.
"We don't have the time to waste on character models like you," Caster seems to be rather proud that we won three fights in a row.
Now that we don't have any obstructions in our way, I open the first Item Folder and I find ... 300 IP. Is that good? What can this buy? At the other end, I find another Ether Shard. I wonder what these do... I have two of them now, but I still don't know what the uses for them are. "A good friend of mine once said, 'Only in combat do you learn who you truly are.' I think it can be applied to using items, too, Master." Hmm... All right. "I LOVE the anticipation of seeing what's inside before you even see it..." Heheh, I guess it is exciting after all.
Catching my breath, I see Caster's eyes get serious and before I even have the chance to turn around, the fox girl jumps right behind me when another Klein program appears digitally out of nowhere and attacks. "I would rather that you don't interrupt the mood between me and my Master." After a few bouts, this program falls, too.
"Good job, and thank you for the experience points. " She bows at the air where the previously alive program was at. Caster turns around to face me again, "Oh, well. I guess we should save our lovey-dovey moments when we're outside of the Arena." Ahem... I think that's for the best.
The bee-like program from before is in pretty clear vision. I start to approach it, but my Champion stops me. "Hmm... Yeah, it'd be a bad idea to fight this one. We might want to pass on this one for now, Master." Ohhh, that's what you meant by... OK, sorry. I misinterpreted.
For the rest of the day, the both of us just spent some quality time together at the Mystic Maze.
"My Lord, once you exit the Arena your day is done and you can't come back until tomorrow. If you're finished here, by all means, let's go. But are you sure you want to leave?" Hmm... I think it's time that we should relax, we've spent an entire day here, and I'm worried about your well-being, health regenerating fountain and finger licking notwithstanding.
Yes. Let's return to campus.
"We managed to survive the day, thanks to Master." We walk onto the summoning platform from where we started at and teleport back to the school.
We're back at our private room and the fox girl is sitting in a seiza position on the makeshift shrine, "Hmmm...? Master, I noticed earlier I can't reach my full potential! I'm not at full output. Ah, it's not your fault, Master. Buuut ... the more you get used to fighting, the more I'll kick butt! Let's explore the Arena again tomorrow. I'm invincible when my Master is threatened, so don't worry! Anyone in our way will get cut down!"
My terminal beeps and on its screen displays...
Today's Results
Triggers obtained: First Floor = Pending; Second Floor = Pending
Arena Completion Rate: First Floor = 42%; Second Floor = 0%
Treasures Obtained: First Floor = 0%; Second Floor = 0%
Matrix Status: Enemy Champion Info 01 = Pending; Enemy Champion Info 02 = Pending; Enemy Champion Info 03 = Pending
Champion Status:
Well, I did what I can. It's night now, and I'm rather tired. So I'll just go to sleep here with this makeshift futon. Caster seems to have slept on the desks... Good night.
A/N: ...Yep. What if Fate/EXTRA combined with League of Legends? I find this question interesting. Also, for reviewers, do research if you're planning on criticizing. The last person that did that made an unhelpful and terrible review, so just watch what you say.